|
Pre-Game 15: Another Chance for Poehling |
|
|
|
|
|
Follow me on Twitter by clicking the following link for all Habs updates!
The Flames come to town with a solid record of 7-2-3 good for 17 points and the 2nd position behind the Oilers in the Pacific division. Up front, Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Magiapane are all having red hot starts with 10 points or more to their name while goaltender Jacob Markstrom has got 5 wins on the season, 4 of which were shutouts, which is far from reassuring considering how much trouble the Habs are having to score goals.
Montreal held an optional skate this morning and Dominique Ducharme has already spoken to the press to confirm that Jonathan Drouin would not be in the line once again, even though he hasn’t been diagnosed with a concussion following the Brett Kulak shot he took to the head, he’s been dealing with headaches ever since and they appear to be getting worst at night. According to a doctor in neuropsychology who spoke on 91.9 Sports this morning, it could be a cervical injury or a vestibular one, but whatever it is, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
As the injury list just keeps on growing for the Habs, Ryan Poehling was called up from Laval yesterday and Ducharme has confirmed that he’ll be pivoting the 4th line alongside Belzile and Pezzetta. Speaking to the media this morning, Poehling stated that he’s been told to stick to what made him a success in Laval and not overthink things. In other words, 4th line or not, he’s got to keep playing attacking hockey. This will be his first NHL regular season game since the season before last. If you recall he was sent down at the start of last season and comments were made about his attitude and the fact that his work ethic might have been lacking. Interestingly, this morning, Poehling owned up to the negative attitude comment and even said that he spoke about that with Cole Caufield when he was sent down and advised him to take it with the right frame of mind and make the most of it.
Poehling also said that while he did like Joel Bouchard as a coach and felt he taught him a lot, Jean-François Houle is more of a players’ coach and has got an ease of communication, easy to talk to which is really appreciated by the Rocket players. According to him, whether you’re playing or not, Houle is going to be straight up with you and tell you exactly what he wants from you. With the injuries pilling up in Montreal and Cedric Paquette (who is now out for at least 10 days) failing to impress at center thus far, Poehling is being given yet another chance to prove he’s ready to play in the big league after failing to earn a roster spot out of training camp despite playing nearly all of the Canadiens’ preseason games. There’s no doubt that it’s time for him to step up if he doesn’t want the Habs to move on, although with their dire situation at center right now, can they really afford to?
Finally, once again, Jake Allen will be entrusted with defending the Canadiens’ net and containing the powerful Calgary attack. We’ve seen the best and the worst of the goalie this season and if the Tricolore is to have any chance at all winning tonight, Allen will have to be on his A-game. The puck drops at 7:00 PM and keep an eye on Poehling, he should be coming out strong tonight.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»